


when dreams collide

by retrosas



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Child Kuroo Tetsurou, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Gen, M/M, POV Bokuto Koutarou, read disclaimer in notes!!!, talks about adoption and surrogates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:54:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27019876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/retrosas/pseuds/retrosas
Summary: "I don't care much for them being mini you and me," Keiji replied a bit sharply, but not rudely, "I just want..." Keiji wrung his hands. "I just want to raise another life with you, someone who would be their own person."The fight beginning in him fades away and he feels warm all over. He decides to share that warmth with his life partner, feeling responsible for the awkward and dejected look in his eyes. Koutarou bundles Keiji up in his arms, and Koutarou—Well, what can Koutarou say to that?Koutarou and Keiji are looking into expanding their little family of two. Koutarou has reservations about Keiji's take on the matter until suddenly he doesn't.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou, Akaashi Keiji & Kuroo Tetsurou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 6
Kudos: 77





	when dreams collide

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by a conversation a friend had with his ex (oof), my convo w/ my mom, and some art i saw on twitter (will link once i find it again omfg). 
> 
> **disclaimer:** adoption and surrogate talks here are based mostly on stories and perceptions from my country's culture, so it can be different irl in japan and thus this work shouldn't be taken as a basis for it. + bokuto's initial thoughts here about adoption are also real thoughts people have, and while it can come off as offensive to a lot of people, i think it's important to know that some people who do think like this/have thought like this have their reasons and preferences that are not my place to judge (eg. culture, legalities, cost of adoption, pre-exisitng family issues, etc). (like me: id like to adopt, but my culture doesn't really like that idea ugh). i dont mean to offend anyone with this, i just wanted to put it out there that it's something a lot of couples talk about when it comes to family planning. hope i made sense;;;
> 
> note kuroo may come off as ooc here, but my logic here is that since kuroo was canonically shy and nervous as a kid, i decided to take liberties on how to portray that especially given his situation here
> 
> ive just been on a fluff roll these days so uh i hope yall enjoy this!! + this fic isnt proofread 100% yet so if anyone ever rereads this they might find some errors i might correct idk rip

Having a family of his own was always one of Koutaro's dreams. Sure, he was a volleyball idiot, but he thought about other things too, and one of those was daydreaming about having a loving spouse to come home to and little tykes of his own to play volleyball with.

Being pansexual did nothing to deter him from that dream, and he was glad Keiji had the same dream as well.

However, when it came to having kids, they had different stances; Koutarou wanted a surrogate, while Keiji wanted to adopt.

"I want to have little mini me's and you's running around our house!" Koutarou had puffed out when they first had the discussion. "Adopting means they won't be little us-es! It's different!"

Keiji frowned, and Koutarou knew he said something wrong again. "I understand where you're coming from Kou-san," Keiji replied, still calling him somewhat formally even after years of living together post-college, "But that view can be very harmful to people that aren't me." He sighed.

Koutarou pouted, thinking about it. "I'm not trying to say something like they're gonna be better babies, Keiji, I just..." He huffed, feeling the rise of petulance from college he doesn't feel so often anymore now that he's in his early thirties. He gets what Keiji is saying, but that doesn't mean he agrees exactly, not when he's had this image in his mind since high school of what he envisioned his thirties to be. "I just want to see a little you, you know? Not even me, just...a little Keiji."

"I don't care much for them being mini you and me," Keiji replied a bit sharply, but not rudely, "I just want..." Keiji wrung his hands. "I just want to raise another life with you, someone who would be their own person."

The fight beginning in him fades away and he feels warm all over. He decides to share that warmth with his life partner, feeling responsible for the awkward and dejected look in his eyes. Koutarou bundles Keiji up in his arms, and Koutarou—

Well, what can Koutarou say to that?

* * *

Months after that conversation finds them here at an orphanage three cities over that Koutarou volunteered in once with his professional volleyball team, which is also the same one Keiji volunteers in every other Saturday. Like with most things in their relationship, Keiji handles everything that requires smooth-talking, paper collecting, and basically the documentation and boring side of adulting, leaving Koutarou to wander around the place.

Koutarou knew it wasn't because he wasn't, well the _smoothest_ operator—well that was considered too but it was mostly because Keiji knew Koutarou would _not_ sit still, nor would he be comfortable in any semblance of a stifling environment.

Maybe this was also Keiji's way of giving Koutarou a choice or chance of sorts, letting him make a decision first before Keiji comes in. It's fair since Koutarou gave the same treatment to Keiji after all when they talked to some reputable professionals and agencies (and even _lawyers_ , Keiji _calm down_ ) about surrogating; Koutarou let Keiji set the pace, as he was the one who was not exactly for the idea but came in with an open mind anyway to give what Koutarou a chance.

Now, Koutarou is giving this whole adopting thing a chance too.

So here he was, a six-foot "beefy" (in Keiji's words) volleyball player in a loose button-down and slacks in a playground —because he wanted to make a nice first impression on the kids, okay?! First impressions matter!

He's not so sure how he's doing with the nice first impression thing though since they're all giving him weird looks, but hey, kids are weird too, so it checks out. Koutarou thinks he looks great especially in these slacks his teammates and Keiji love on him, so that's what's important.

The playground isn't packed like public park playgrounds are, but it was filled with kids nonetheless. Most kids on the slides, monkey bars, and other more kinesthetic attractions looked to be six to eight years old, going by their sizes, while those younger than six were huddled around the sandboxes and lower slides. Some kids were also playing soccer, mostly the kids Koutarou assumed were the older ones, some pre-teens, and young teenagers.

As he was scanning the area, a lone figure by the inner corner of the playground caught his eyes.

There was a child who looked not much older than the majority of the kids, but still younger than those playing soccer; Koutarou estimated him to be somewhere between eight to ten, going by his height. The kid had dark, messy hair that looked like Koutarou's own, but while Koutarou's was made to look like an owl's nest (on purpose, Keiji, I swear!), the kid had his like...a bird's head? Wait no...it's like....like, a rooster's tuft of hair on its forehead.

Yeah, that!

It seemed fluffed up top but had some hair that fell out of its style, flopping over one of his eyes slightly. Said eyes were large and childlike, but gave off the vibe of a feline focused on something that caught its fancy.

The said fancy the child seemed taken with was the rugged volleyball in his hands. From where he stood, Koutarou can see him throw the ball towards the wall, then receive it once it inevitably fell back down. He repeated this continuously, only deviating whenever his receive was off or his toss caused the ball to bounce irregularly.

Actually, to say the kid was _playing_ volleyball was kind of a stretch since, in Koutarou's coach's words, you needed at least 2 people to play he was just throwing the ball to the wall, receiving it with his arms when it came down and repeated the cycle. It didn't really seem like playing now that he thought about it, and—

—the kid didn't really look like he was having fun.

Sure, he looked concentrated, like, _really_ concentrated, like how he knows he looks like during a really intense game and like how Keiji looked back during his time in the pro scene (which is now his look when he's bent over an annoying, rushed manuscript for proofing). But there was something off. This kid didn't have that sparkle-sparkle feeling to him, didn't have that feeling of happiness while he played.

He could also be way too far to just feel it, but Koutarou knew and felt fun when it was there, and he was sure this kid wasn't having it right now.

Not to mention it also didn't sit right with him how the other kids ignored this one, even when he practically asked with his eyes for someone to join in.

An imaginary light bulb lit up in his mind; Koutaro had a thought.

Not minding the other kids, Koutarou made his made way to the lone kid and watched him from a closer distance. Yep, there wasn't _any_ fun coming from this kid.

That just won't do.

When the ball bounced from the wall at an angle, Koutarou crouched down and received it, sending it back into the air as he ignored the uncomfortable stretch of his pants at his action.

The kid jolted at the new presence but went back to his task at hand when the ball came in his direction. "W-Who are you?"

"I'm Bokuto Koutarou," Koutarou received the ball, "You like volleyball, kid?"

Said kid pouted and blushed. he averted his eyes. "I'm n-not a k-kid anymore, I'm turning nine in-in a month," he mumbled as he crouched for a receive.

Koutarou hummed and stopped the ball from reaching the wall with one hand. "You didn't answer my question, not-a-kid," he pouted back, "So do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Like volleyball!"

"O-of course I do!" The kid stuttered then looked up at him, meeting his eyes for the first time. Gold met hazel. The kid was shaking, but he raised his hand. "G-Give me back my ball! P-Please..."

Koutaro whistled at the kid's stare. "I like the look in your eyes," he grinned, "Let's play volleyball. I'll stay here, you move a bit back. Let's serve and receive, yeah?"

"B-But my ball..."

"I'll give it back, promise!" Koutarou crouched. "Come on, let's play a bit and talk!"

The kid looked hesitant, and maybe even a bit scared, but moved away a bit as Koutarou instructed and crouched down too. This time, Koutarou can feel something else in the air—the kid's nervous energy was still there, but there was something _better_ to it now.

"Okay, let's go!" Koutarou threw the ball in the air gently and tapped it with his arms, sending it forward to the boy in front of him.

The ball flew directly to where the boy was, and when the ball bounced from his outstretched arms and back to Koutarou, he let out a surprised and awed gasp. He looked at his arms in wonder, and Koutarou can see the beginning of something red forming from the pressure.

In a smooth arc, the ball made its way to Koutarou's own arms, and this time he moved a bit to put the ball back into play. The kid also moved slightly to the side, eyes on the ball as he bounced it up, letting out another "whoaaa" as he did so.

It was really cute to see the kid _ooh_ and _aah_ every time he bumped the ball, and Koutarou found himself grinning each time. It was kind of motivating, knowing that he was making a kid so happy like this.

But, well, Koutarou didn't really like monotony that much, even with kids. So after six balls, he tried to change his receive this time, bending lower and stretching his arms further, changing the distance suddenly.

Taken by surprise, the boy's eyes focused on the ball with cat-like focus, moving forward for the coming ball. But the ball passed through his arms. He froze and blushed. Koutarou couldn't help but laugh. "Again!"

"H-huh?"

"Again, let's do it again!"

"Y-You're...not mad?"

Koutarou blinked. "Why would I be? Everyone makes mistakes," he said. "Besides, isn't it more fun this way?"

"Fun...?" The kid blinked.

"Yeah! Like, well, yeah, losing isn't fun exactly," Koutarou began, "but the after can be! Making mistakes means you can get better, and that's fun! You train some more, try out new things some more, and just play some more! That's pretty fun if you ask me!"

The kid tilted his head, picking up the ball. "But...isn't that hard? Isn't-isn't it hard to keep getting better?"

"Hmm..." Koutarou hummed. Then, he made his way to the kid and bent to his level. "Is this your first time playing volleyball?"

Silently and with his eyes away from Koutarou, the kid shook his head.

"Oh, so how long have you been playing?"

"T-Three...weeks..."

"Three weeks huh, and how do you like it so far?"

"It's..." The kid trailed off for a while, then: "It's okay."

"Okay?"

"Mhm."

"So you like it?"

"Mhm. It-it's cool..."

Koutarou beamed. "Heh. It's really cool, right? Especially the spikers." Then, because he couldn't help himself, "I'm a spiker, the ace!"

The kid gaped. "A-Ace? So you're real strong then!"

"Heh, you could say that." Koutarou preened.

"B-But!" The kid broke through the older's preening, "B-but the blockers are cool too!"

Immediately, something clicked in Koutarou's mind. "Oooh, so you wanna be a blocker, don't 'cha?" Koutarou whistled.

"I-I..." The kid flushed again. "Y-Yeah, that sounds really cool...They're really cool..."

"That's true though, like, as an ace they're kinda scary," the older admitted, "But as teammates, they're also really great. I wouldn't be ace without them."

"Y-Yeah, like that! They're really cool! T-they're so tall, and they look so strong."

"They are!" Koutarou nodded vigorously. "They can run and jump, and slam down the ball like—" he raised his arms and bent them forward, hovering over the kid. The kid flinched and Koutarou continued, "—like this and make you feel like _uwaaah_ , that's a _wall_!"

"T-That looks scary from here," The kid confessed, "B-But also really cool, like, they-they can just shut them out!"

Koutarou couldn't help but grin at the awe on the seemingly shy child as he mumbled on about blockers; he took in the way the younger was still shaky, but he was meeting his eyes head-on now. He looked genuinely happy, if not a little nervous, to be talking about volleyball.

He thought back to his question earlier and decided to bring it up again. "Hey, you didn't answer me back then. Is it fun?"

The younger blinked. "F-Fun?"

"Yeah, is volleyball fun for you?"

"Fun..." The kid blinked, thinking, then he shrugged. "K-Kinda? It looks fun on TV, cool too. B-But...it's hard." He paused. "Practice is h-hard when nobody wants to play. A-And being a blocker is hard too..."

"Being a blocker _is_ hard, but.." Koutarou took the younger's arms gently and showed him his arms. "Don't think about what's easy, think about what's _fun_. Once you get that moment of fun, it'll be more than just cool for you," he grinned. He gently tapped the red arms in his grasp. "You see these red spots?"

"Yeah?"

"They hurt, right?"

"...Yeah..."

"Had them before?

"M-Mhm..."

"But it's fun, right? You having fun?"

The kid paused, thinking for a while. He sticks his lower lip out as he thinks, then he replies softly, "Yeah. It's f-fun. I have fun. A-And it's more fun with people."

"I get it, I get it," Koutarou nodded. "It's a team sport after all, so it's really more fun with people!" He grinned. "Did you have fun just now?"

The kid blushed. "Y-Yeah. Thanks for playing with me, Bokuto-san."

"Thanks for the ball too, uh..."

"K-Kuroo..." The kid mumbled. "Kuroo...Tetsurou."

Koutarou ruffled Tetsurou's hair, earning a squawk from the younger. "Kuroo Tetsurou, future blocker, future best receiver, iron wall! Sounds cool!"

"Iron wall..." Tetsurou repeated. "That's so cool..."

"Right? And sounds fun too!"

"Hehe," Tetsurou snickers. "It does, it does!"

And when Tetsurou beams at him for the first time that day, Koutarou gets an idea.

"Hey, what if I teach you volleyball?" He asks, with no hesitation. "I can come here whenever, and I'll bring a better ball for us to use, and maybe even take you out or something."

"I-I-are you sure?" Tetsurou blinked. "Isn't that...a bother?"

"Noooo," Koutarou huffed. "I want to play with you! _I'm_ the bother here!"

"I..." Tetsurou gulped, turning pink. "That sounds nice..."

Koutarou laughed and ruffled his hair again. "Just say yes kid, it's not that hard!"

"Yes, just tell him straight up, Kuroo-kun, it's easier."

Both heads turn to the new voice and Tetsurou's pink turns red. "A-Akaashi-sensei!"

Koutarou blinks. "Sensei?"

"They call me sensei since I'm usually in charge of teaching them how to read and write," Keiji chuckled. He made his way to the child and gently pat his head; said child flushed but beamed at the ground. "Kuroo-kun is one of the faster students here, so sometimes he asks me for extras."

"Whoa," Koutarou's mouth fell open. "A compliment from Keiji, you must be like, really smart!"

"I-I just like to read!" Tetsurou stammered. He looked back and forth between the two older men. "How do you know each other, Akaashi-sensei?"

Before Keiji can respond, Koutarou interjected happily, "Remember when I said volleyball is more fun with people? Well, for me, volleyball is the most fun with Keiji!" He moved his hands to the side, sweeping them over the bespectacled man. "He's my setter! My control tower! My partner for life!"

"I don't play professionally anymore like he does, though," Keiji sighed tiredly, fondness lacing his tone and red dusting his cheeks. "Please don't mind him Kuroo-kun."

"Professionally or not, Keiji is one of the best out there!" Koutarou beamed with pride. "Ah, Keiji, you should set for us one time!"

Keiji hummed. He gave Koutarou a look that Koutarou couldn't name, but it was something he was familiar with: calculating, but soft. The short male then turned to the child, who was looking at them with confusion in his eyes. Keiji bent down to his level. "Kuroo-kun, just making sure my partner here isn't pressuring you ("Keiji?!"), do you want to play with him some more?"

Tetsurou looked up at Keiji and shakily nodded. "I-I do, and if Akaashi-sensei plays too, I think that'll be more fun!"

"Seeee, he wants to!" Koutarou whined. "Come on, let's come over next week or something! Or tomorrow, if you're not busy!"

"Kou-san, you're the one who's busy tomorrow. It's time to file your income tax returns for the month, or else you'll be penalized again."

"Urk!"

Keiji sighed. "But next week is fine. I'm on teaching duty next week too, so" he looked at Tetsurou, "I'll bring in the books you asked for next week, is that okay, Kuroo-kun? Today was a bit last minute, so I didn't bring them today."

"That's okay, sensei!" Tetsurou smiled. "T-Then, will Bokuto-san come too?"

"Yep!" Koutarou nodded. "I'll bring some volleyball stuff, and after your class thing with Keiji, we can all play!"

Koutarou watched as Tetsurou sparkled for the first time that day, eyes growing wide and his mouth falling open to let out a small _whoaaaa_ and then cheering to himself with a little fist pump and a soft _yeah_!

Keiji chuckled. "Look forward to next week then, Kuroo-kun. Kou-san and I have to go now."

"Ehh?"

"We _do_?"

Both Koutarou and Tetsurou turned to Keiji with matching expressions of disbelief and sadness. Keiji sighed his _geh_ sigh and faced Koutarou with a stern look. "Yes, Kou-san. The earlier you start filing your taxes, the more chances we'll have to come here." He turned to Tetsurou. "Sorry, Kuroo-kun, but we'll be back before you know it okay?"

"Keijiiii," Koutarou pouted, "Filing taxes is hard, can you help meeeee?"

"Yes, I will," Keiji huffed, "I always will."

Tetsurou piped in. "Y-you should go then, Bokuto-san! So you can come back faster and we can play some more!" He stuttered for a bit before giving a cheeky, shy smile. "A-And you told me not to think about what's easy, think about what's fun, right?"

Koutarou's face fell. Keiji snorted. "Your words right back at you, Kou-san."

"I thought you were on _my_ side, Kuroo-kun!"

"I-I'm not taking sides! I just..." Tetsurou huffed out, "I just wanna play with you again, so if-if that means you have to go now to come back again more, th-then that's the right thing to do!"

The volleyball player blinked, eyeing the child in front of him.

Well, he made sense. Besides, if he filed his taxes faster, then Keiji was right—they can come here before Saturday, and then come on Saturday too.

With a sigh, Koutarou turned to Keiji. "Saturday?"

Keiji nodded. "Saturday. Or even before that. Let's see."

Straightening up his posture, Koutaro stood tall and pressed his hand down on the child in front of him. Ignoring his indignant groan, Koutarou spoke: "Okay then, Kuroo Tetsurou! Train hard 'till then, and be ready for Saturday, or even tomorrow, who knows!"

"Not tomorrow for sure, Kou-san—"

"Y-Yes!" Tetsurou nodded resolutely. "I'll be ready"

Koutarou grinned, "Okay, let's get filing, Keiji!"

"Yes, let's." Keiji chuckled. He ruffled Tetsurou's hair gently. "We'll see you soon, okay, Kuroo-kun?"

"M-Mhm! See you soon sensei, Bokuto-san!"

* * *

Koutarou, filled with a new sense of excitement, practically dragged Keiji to their car and started the engine once Keiji was in. As they got ready to leave the parking lot, they were waved off by the heads of the orphanage.

Once they were out of their slot, they passed by the side of the playground. Koutarou, being on the side closer to the playground, saw Tetsurou smiling at them, waving with one hand, his other holding the volleyball.

"Open the window," Keiji nudged him, "Let's wave."

Koutarou followed and rolled down his window. From beside him, Keiji waved while he stuck out his head. "See you next week, Kuroo-kid!"

Tetsurou said something back but was indecipherable from their distance, the smile on his face growing wider. Keiji pulled his head back in the car, and he rolled his window back up.

They sat in silence for a while, smiles on their faces still, before Keiji said, "He's a lot like you, you know."

"Kuroo? How?" Koutarou blinked. He's so quiet!"

"That's true, that's not very you. His shyness is the opposite of your loudness." Keiji snickered, "Even so, he's determined, just like you are."

"If we're gonna talk about who he's like, then wouldn't he be like _you_? You called him fast and smart!"

Keiji leaned back on the car seat, chuckling. "If that's so, why don't we just say he's like _both_ of us?"

Koutarou blinked, then nodded. "You're right, he's like both of us combined!" He realized. "Like, like a mini us!"

"Not exactly mini-us, Kou-san, Kuroo-kun is his own person."

"I know, but like," Koutarou thought for a while, biting his lower lip, "It's like if we had a kid, they'd be like Kuroo, _that_ kind of mini-us." A thought came up in Koutarou's mind, and with his lack of brain to mouth filter, he popped it out: "Imagine if we brought that kid out more often. He needs to make more friends. Hey Keiji, can we take him out sometime too?"

Koutarou looked to his life partner, his husband in all but legalities, and he was met with a soft, tender, look that had him feeling flustered and awed, no matter how many times he's seen his lover's many different expressions.

Keiji's elbows were on his knees, head facing him and chin supported his hand. He had that little smile that crinkled the side of his eyes and the permanent eyebags under them—warm, loving, tender, and a bit amused and...knowing?

Having known Keiji for years, Koutarou knew something was up. It wasn't a bad thing, whatever this was since Keiji was looking all ready to cuddle, but Koutarou was still confused. Was he missing something here? Or did he say something funny again?

Before Koutarou could bring it up, Keiji replied—"Let's talk it out with Kuroo-kun and the people in the orphanage, okay? Let's stick to volleyball first."

Keiji's words took Koutarou out of his sudden stupor, bringing a grin on his face as the words settled in. "That's not a no, right?"

"It's not, it's very much a yes," Keiji chuckled. "It's a yes, and a wait, but it's a yes."

Koutarou grinned. "A yes is a yes, that's what matters." Then, he pressed on the pedal a bit harder. "Okay let's go file those taxes! The faster we get home, the faster we do them, the earlier we'll be with Kuroo-kun, which means more volleyball, more books from you, and then we get to go out!"

"Kou-san, there's a speed limit!" Keiji gasped out but laughed anyway, and Koutarou laughed along with him.

He can't wait to see Tetsurou again.

**Author's Note:**

> twt + tumblr : @ sagikaashi 
> 
> thanks for dropping by! :D have a nice day yall uwu


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